some days are just like that + why tears are good for you

A weepy day yesterday -- don't like to journal during that - only after - after reflecting.

Started in the wee hours of the morning when I was shocked awake by some dream about spiders. ICK. Then it seemed to progress throughout the day. While typing an email, while rushing kids from school to religious education classes, while sitting through the parent's "spirituality session" in the chapel {the one I had forgotten all about!} Thats where the tears really started to flow. Rushing home knowing I had to get home to whip up a quick & simple dinner so we could make it to our first girl scout's meeting by 6pm. I was exhausted by the end of the day. not physically -- mentally.

And you know, it was all because I was thinking about my grandmother. {uh-oh, here i go again} She passed away 8 years ago yesterday and all day I knew she would want me to say a little prayer. And I kept pushing it back to later in the day, or after I got the kids to school. I miss her dearly. Not a day goes by that I don't think about her at least once. I didn't light a candle, as is customary for our family. This is because little guy makes it a little tough -- any time he sees a lite candle he thinks "birthday" and wants to immediately blow it out. I'm sure grandmother {nonna} understands this though.

The quiet prayer and reflection time in the chapel was just what I needed. The person leading the group talked about how we live by, and drive ourselves nuts by, the "ought to's" in our lives. I ought do to this or I ought to do that but maybe another time. Man it really sunk in. Although I could've done without the "okay, now lets turn to each other in groups of 3 or 4 and share what the quiet prayer time felt like for you" um, there was no hiding red, wet eyes. Oh, God. People I didn't even know. So she #1 from the group asked "were they happy or sad tears?" probably trying to understand if I needed medical assessment. I share with them about being reminded of my grandmother while listening to one of the comments the women who was leading the prayer group shared. Sharing like that is not my most favorite-y thing, but it was good to just let it out there.

I felt better after that.
Feel better today.
I love you nonna, and I feel your presence sometimes.
so good to remember how you used to deal with life's little trails. With prayer and faith.
so simple.

Portraits of a Full Weekend

1 -- Rochester's Best Combination of Art Festivals
the long running clothesline art festival + the new indie market = so much creative energy.
On Saturday after our outing I felt like coming home and making something.

2--our 8 year old boy in awe of the ivy covered buildings near the memorial art gallery. even though there was some kinda shmutzey stuff on my lens and the sunlight was blazing over the top of the building I like it -- looks very mystical. he really wanted to climb it -- thought the ivy was very, very cool.

3--fresh veggies that I have to cook and or freeze. I decided to cook {for a change}. Peppers, potatoes, onions, garlic. All grown right around here {fall is always a better time to do this domestic task called cooking in my opinion :)}

4-- Reflections on a visit to the Dignity Memorial Vietnam Wall. it is a replica of the memorial in Washington DC and it is traveling the country -- in Rochester this weekend and someone had said it was very beautifully done so we went.
among all the emotions that come to mind while we were there we also tried to find a way to explain to the kids what they were seeing to help them understand that its not just a wall with names on it. {we haven't been to washington, DC with them yet so this was a first for them}
I have one child that asks alot of questions {our daughter} and one that listens and takes it all in {our son} So as we made our way down the walk I overheard her say to him -- "All these names are soldiers that died, and all these people are in heaven" and he says, "Yeah, I heard about it, there is alot."

I was a little kid while the Vietnam war raged on, my parents being nearly new immigrants to this country were not personally involved, and I never knew anyone who had been in this war until much later in my life. But this is what I remember from the early 70s; I played with one of the neighbor girls and her brothers and other siblings during those earliest summers I remember. They were a fun family - lots of kids. My little sister was not born yet so I was an only child pretty much and It felt so good to play with a bunch of kids. The dad would always talk over the fence with my dad, possibly comparing gardens of homegrown veggies and compost piles or maybe how he made homemade wine. Whatever they talked about it was always friendly.
One day they were gone.
Just moved out and left. They left a void where the friendly used to be. No one knew where they went. Then, later, but I don't know how much later, we found out that they moved to Canada. Took the family out of here.
I missed my friend. I didn't know and understand until later just why the war would make someone do that. But I still missed out on a friend back then. I don't think the neighborhood was ever quite as fun.

All that makes me wonder about the long-lasting effects of war on us.
As I got older I met other kids that had dads, brothers or uncles involved. When I was older still I worked with a woman whose husband had been in the war. I commented one day on my plans for the weekend that included going up to Toronto to see Miss Saigon. She got this look on her face. Said she could never go see that after what her husband told her about his time there. My husband currently works with a Vietnam vet, he will occasionally share things with the guys but mostly says he "doesn't like to talk about it."
These days positions on the war are so varied -- and I'm not trying to make a commentary here.
But I wish leaders would learn from the past. Wish some of them would reflect more on what long-lasting impact is taking place right now in our current generation.
Kids get it in their own way. They shape their views from our reflections; good and bad. I hope we will we have a generation someday that does not rely on wars to solve problems. Will we ever have that? I wonder.

So the word for me this week is Reflect.

Italian Streets

..Brings back many memories of summer when I was as a teenager visiting Italy with my mom. Although I think this one was taken during the winter Christmas festivities. This is taken in the small town in Italy where my parents and familiy are from. Beginning August 15th the town {as many small and rural towns in Italy and Europe do} begins some annual summer festival -- Le Feste. Many people are on vacation {le vacanze} the whole month of August. Their town in particular sees many visitors during this time. People come from the larger cities to relax in the natural beauty of the surrounding countryside. They begin decorating the streets with lights on wires, suspending them above street level so the whole main street looks like its sorrounded by sparkling little jewels. It's very romantic to take a stroll through these street lights. Maybe because we don't do this here where I live -- but I think its just very pretty. My mom and I were looking up some information online the other day and I showed her this site. I love it when she sees old and new pictures of the town where she grew up. Every detail is remembered and the stories start to flow. Its good to hear them, even if its over and over again, we have to pass these stories down.


photo credit given to these folks.

Could it be any cuter?

We are doing things to get ready for back to school and for our trip out to visit friends in Massachusetts.

Yesterday was mommy and daughter night out {as she called it} We went for haircuts and then some shopping mommy/daughter style. I have to laugh because we are such girls. We came back with:

hairbands
barretts
lip gloss
hair color {for me}
glossy folders with polkadots for school
nail polish
hair shine spray and leave in conditioner {for all those morning snarls}
and a my little pony dvd {at once realizing where this shopping trip was going, I had to put down my "Eight Below" dvd. sigh. cute man in a parka}

so essentially, hair and makeup and a cute girl-flick.

This was the conversation prior to leaving the house for our cuts.

I don't want to get my hair cut, I want long hair!
We are going to get a trim.
what's that? No.
Its where you just cut a little bit to get your style evened out.
I don't want short hair!
You won't have short hair.
Are you getting your hair cut?
yes.
I don't want to get short hair!
They only do long hair. They won't cut short hair if you don't want it that way.
They don't do short hair?
Nope.
Only long?
yes. I am getting my hair medium cut.
you are? okay. But I only want long hair.

It was an exhausting car ride. Flips through a kid-cut magazine only made things more confusing. In all 1.5 inches were cut off making for a happy girl and happy mom.

Mine was a different story -- about 3 or 4 inches cut. Sounds drastic I know but really it had just grown sooo long those three to four inches were really already dead probably. feels better. shoulder length feels different, lighter. I still need to fight the urge to put it back in a pony-tail.


Going to get back to packing the family up, but had to just post one day this week at least.

Also,

Who knew getting a rubber stamp set {actually 3!} in the mail could squelsh a stressful evening with the kids. It did. It always helps to get creative and draw/paint/or stamp something. I had no idea what I would be getting as my "free" gift was going to be so mini & cute. It almost got lost in the packaging of tissue paper and bigger sets. I looked at it, and after thinking "wait, this is it?" I followed it with...

"could it be any cuter?"

I'm always surprised that it can get everyone so happy, Art Therapy...my seven year old son gets really into stamping all the shapes and images. I love that he gets into it. Last night it was just him and I. And those times are so nice. If only for a little time, then he's off teasing his sister or building some giga-giagantic lego/starwars/bionicle ship.

so on the back of the invoice we practiced.....he thought they were " little surf boards" {good idea} then I showed him what else it could make..he says "cool"

I love when online companies send you your stuff and there is a handwritten note...."Thanks" they wrote in real ink. I think that's cool. Somewhere in the big wide universe of the internet {Nebraska I think} someone put my mommy-diversion-kit together and wrote thanks. As we enter all our info on websites and message boards and we get so used to the electronic connections, never meeting in person, but feeling like we know each other so well, it is so refreshing to be greeted all of a sudden with a familiar handwritten"thanks!"

A pony ride and Brain Age

Something I've been working on all week, a digital layout of our first pony ride.

She is still smiling about this ride two weeks later. Thank you God for ponies. Thank you for that smile on that little face.

I loved playing and creating this. Loved the pretty paper kit from www.digitalfreebies.com and the flourishes and swirls designs from www.scrapartist.com

We just had a one week mini-vacation, just here at home. Did the beach and some parks for the kids. Been keeping busy with soduko. I know now why its addicting.....It all started out slowly, but then I downloaded a puzzle to my desktop {this was waaaaaaaaaaay more fun than doing it on paper} then I was buying some games for the "kids" and I found a Nintendo DS version. Now I'm hooked. My son says, "mom, you're playing with the DS too much." Hey, isn't that supposed to be my line? The DS version comes on a game cartridge named "Brain Age."

Supposedly, you are to train your brain to keep it healthy and sharp. This is not a new idea, but the game comes with puzzles and quick math problems to solve that actually make it fun. Brain Age comes with a mini science lesson about how the brain works. The puzzles and questions are designed to "activate the prefrontal cortex" of our brains and make them work harder and stay sharp. I was glad to see that reading out loud is actually one of those activities that help with that, I do that all the time. {I figured I was golden.} I mentioned the prefrontal cortex thing to my husband {who hadn't really tried the game yet} and he just gave me a weird look, then made a dirty-boy comment about activating his prefrontal.

The game software is a little humorous too. After a brain age check I did a few days after starting my "training" the computer image of a talking head comes on and types "...your brain is very tired..." then the next day, after I tanked on some math problems {man, I didn't realize remembering my math tables could be so hard?!?!} the talking head says "...your brain is asking for help..." very funny. I keep asking my hubby if he has gotten the same message and he says no. I think he's covering up. Being that a 20 brain age score is the best, you are supposed to keep up the training to get close to that goal. My first attempt about a week and a half ago was a very poor 70. Yikes! And for those of us that tend to get a little competitive with games and scores {ahem, not me, really} it makes you work harder cause it records your "brain age" right there on the screen and then saves your file. Whoa. No way I was going to stay on file with a 70! Naturally, you do the puzzles enough and you start to get the hang of it and your memory improves considerably. By the other day I was up to 54, then 41. The head comes on and says "...you are such a trooper...you are much closer to your actual age...." and then something about an "old brain." Niiiice. I finally reached my personal best at 24 on Friday. Try taking a swipe at me now talking head...I got a "...you are doing well, might almost beat me..." huh? Anyway, a fun game to pass the idle time {not that I have that much} and the soduko is fun.

how iblog in the middle of the night.

well here I go again. my world of innsomnia.

Its 4:05am. Once, at 2:03am, I was thinking "I need to get to bed"...........but just not tired. At that particular moment I was at villagephotos.com signing up for a free account for hosting photos that I found out about through another website, {Screen Shots} lindsayteague.blogspot.com, because I was trying to figure out how to get a banner on my blog. That idea came from another blog, paper-cat.blogspot.com, who talks about putting a banner on her blog. I got there from -- following another link, though i can't remember how I found paper-cat, though from her blog I have added several more to my list of favorites. They are both very talented scrappers in my opinion. I love reading blogs of other scrapbookers. There's that commom thread, you know? In looking at my list of "favorites" tonight I notice there is a growing number of blogs I now like to pop into here and there. I know alot {I mean ALOT} of people all over the world blog, but tonight as I was going from creative blog to creative blog I realized it would never end, there would never be a link that said. Okay you've read all the scrapper blogs out there, now go to bed you sleepy girl. then another thought....{besides, you read alot of blogs girl}

what if everyone blogged, and what if we all had time to read each others, how much more we would understand each other, empathize with each other, deal with each other, help each other. Just plain get each other.

{skipping around to other thoughts..}
I went from one website to another, at some point I forgot why I logged in at 11:30pm. It was already late, I was kinda tired, but the pull of checking my email and signing into the forums and galleries of my favorite scrapbook sites was just too stong.

{here i go skipping again.}
Tried the banner thing but didn't get anywhere. Decided to go back to my photo editing software to gussy up my photo that I wanted to use. Ended up spending all my blogging time doing a layout, and it came together slowly but I like it. Now my legs are stuck in the sitting position. My hips are hurting and stiff. Its time to get to bed?? um. don't know if I should at this point. Yeah I probably will. 3 hours is better than none. maybe. At this point should i say Its too late? Its early just sounds wrong, yet right, so it automatically sounds wrong.

The typos in here before I cleaned it up were horrendous. Don't drive if your sleepy, and don't blog either.

Remember This and That

I've been having those reminiscing kind of days lately. I purposfully didn't get on the computer since Sunday. Last night I decided that three days is enough. Sometimes I feel like I spend so much time online that I start to feel guilty for slacking. So there has been alot of time with the kids and the normal household "get organized" kind of stuff. It helps that it is raining right now...it adds to the introspective nature.

This Week a series of quick events happened that made me get all nostalgic and thinking about priorities all of a sudden...Dropped of my daughter at "craft" camp at JoAnn's and while walking through the store on the way out I pass dozens of their clearance items..drooling...{why this is significant, I'll get there} I'm reminded that I have been spending alot on craft/scrapbooking lately and not spending money on what I used to spend money on...clothes, myself, pretty items for the house, now its all about the kids and their activities, their wants, needs. I folded on the winnie the pooh craft kit and pokemon rare cards yesterday. Now, I try to make myself feel okay about this by remembering that they have a "chore chart" that tracks their good behaviors and so they get points/stickers to earn little things throughout the year. 'Cept as they get older the things they want are getting pricier. So we still mix in "go for icecream" or go to a friends house {or have friends over} and less pricier items like {my fav} "a trip to the dollar store" {squeal}. So I work that logic out in my head and buy the kid stuff. Ignoring that big 60% clearance sale sign above "home decorating" and "garden". Such pretty stuff. So I'm reminding myself of what mom used to say {good ole advice for us spenders} SAVE ; save for what you want, then get it. Stop buying the stuff you already have.......their lessons came from hard times, depression, war, losing parents at a young age. If only I had inherited the "save, save, save" part of the DNA? sigh.

I also yak it up with the instructor, come to find out teaching kids about crafts is just a side hobby she's really a medical secretary, and just loves doing this stuff with her own grandkids so now she teaches at JoAnns. I could do that. I mean I'd love to do that. So I start thinking again about going back to work and making it meaningful and doing what I love to do.

Past experiences, both good and bad, will remind me of what I like to do and what I don't. People I like to work with and people that I don't. People that shouldn't be allowed to manage and those who will forever support and inspire you. I keep it in the far-back of the brain, and head off to finish errands while daughter is at camp. Take the boys into Wal-Mart and get our stuff that we needed {school supplies} Squeal at the joy of finding the Good CRAYOLA markers for .88 cents!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and try to keep the rest of the trip focused on what we need.

On my way to tell my son only one pack of pokemon cards for today and SHE comes into my fleld of vision. Eyes make contact.
No. Not. Eye. Contact.
I have to say "hi" now.

She being a person I used to work with, then manage, and have since utterly tried to forget.
It was a very short conversation {I couldn't tell if she just didn't want to talk or if I put her off in some way} Once my initital "oh god" had passed I did chat it up a little. "Reserved" is my new demeanor, sometimes the less I say the better. She sees me with the baby and looks surprised I say "yup, I had another one." She seems uncomfortable, I am trying to hold a figety two-year old who is sooo done with the shopping cart and just wants to get down. Who also saw chips in one of the lanes and is now yelling "Mommmie, chips, Mommie Chips". This is going on while I am trying to look pulled together and with it for former co-worker {but of course I am all disheveled and grungy looking instead, sigh, why does this always happen?}

Then it gets said....."I was just talking to so and so and we were talking about you, and wishing you would come back, wondering if you ever would?"......I try not to fall to the ground. Try to keep my jaw from dropping. Is she freakin' kidding???? She's gotta be. Just being nice.

I simply say "really? well I bet I will have to hunt for a job sooner or later with the three kids"....I laugh...she laughs. "well I gotta go" we both say....pleasantries said, kind parting words trailing off in the middle of Wal-Mart. I have to hide behind lane number 13 and a stack of pokemon cards to shudder and shrug it off.

SO I'm flattered if it was sincere. Cause I thought I burned all my bridges there so to speak. But can't get the other trailing thought out of my head that she was just being nice. ????

Or, is it a sign. for going back to work {gotta do what I love this time though, that's that, that I know for sure}

I Discovered

that a new fragrance can be combined from two very different products in your medicine cabinet and this is what I smell right now. I have to say it is pleasing though, not bad -- has some company invented this smell already?

Okay here is the formula,

1 - 2 swipes of husbands Old Spice Deoderant under each pit and
1 spritz under each arm pit of my Estee Lauder Pleasures Perfume

At first it came across as really perfumey -- like I was trying to cover up a sweaty armpit in the middle of the sticky, humid day{which I was} but as the day wore on it became softer. Sometimes smelling like the old spice and sometimes like floral. I could smell it all night. Then I dressed in the morning and changed shirts. However last night I couldn't find a new t-shirt so I grabbed the first one on the chair {which just happened to be the scented pit shirt} so I could get to the job of getting the boys to bedtime. {Mommy falls asleep first sometimes. Sometimes on the floor next to your beds.} I woke at a strange time in the middle of the night and and headed for the bathroom. What's that cool scent? Oh, yeh, its me. So after 24 hours the combo old spice/pleasures has fully uh, melded, and there is a really clean, fresh, outdoorsy, musk scent. Now, there's the problem of duplicating this scent after I take my shower this morning. Will it work a second time? Should I just keep wearing the t-shirt? {kidding}

added journaling 7/13 ; hope whoever reads this can guess that I was being goofy. I do like to use real deo and plus I couldn't duplicate the fragrance....so that means my chemistry career is over anyway.

Like a Kid in the MemoryWorks Candy Store

yummy
....Just recieved my newest shipment of goodies from the company I am an independent scrapbook consultant for... www.memory-works.com ..........all I can say is Mail is fun again! Really I am like a kid when the packages come, even though I know exactly what's in there.

And to think I was going to post pictures of paint chips and our house being painted..... If I can stop drooling over the Autumn Leaves papers and Hiedi Swapp goodies long enoughI am posting the pic of the reason for my addiction.

That's not one Heidi Swapp clear stamp -- that's three. And the Autumn Leaves "summer" theme set by foof-a-la.....I can't wait to use that one, And then the topper {cause I love rubber stamping on pages lately} Rhonna Farrer Nature stamps with the cutest birds and flourishes; the clear stamp set has 9 pieces. There is joyous squealing going on... must....use...inside voice.

oh, okay. In the midst of one great package {:)} there is home improvements being made. I picked a color from the tan spectrum and now its looking goldish -- but drying to the right shade. Kinda panic when that happens.

Beginning of summer happiness

In reviewing last post I had to laugh because I was so nit-picky. Luckily for my husband that doesn't happen that often, but I do have my moments.

Every time two weeks or so goes by and I haven't time to come here to update it means too much other stuff is piled up that is getting done. In this case the end of the school year was approaching, award ceremonies, teacher gifts to make, a neighborhood garage sale to get ready for, scrapbooking events to complete, and the beginning of summer happiness for the children {this alone involves a whole list of to-do's so as to keep them busy and keep the learning going} and finally summer camps and play-dates.

"Marshmallows for roasting on the backyard fireplace" read the first item on my shopping list the other day.

So there comes a time after all the hullabullo is over when you finally get a chance to sit back and reclaim your free-time you look around your house and you realize that there are a number of things that got left by the wayside in order to get to the "fun" parts of life. So yesterday I literlly spent hours on laundry alone. But that is finally all organized. The kids were also helpful {this means that they did not interrupt mom as I hauled out load after load from the laundry room, they did not do flips through all the warm clothes just out of the dryer and they actually for a short time at least helped by bringing up their own laundry.} This makes my work so much easier. So happy when they help. I have cookies -n- cream ice cream with waffle bowls waiting as a reward later today.

My Time v.s. Morning Chaos

not sure what set me off today.......up since 5:30am and feel like I haven't accomplished much and now the kids are up and arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh! I feel like screaming.

list of possibilities:

was it hubby waking a 6am {totally breaking my morning mojo of logging into the blog} to say he wanted to go for a bike ride "early"; however at 7:40 he was still here, all the bills laid out on the table. Checkbook open. Calculater out. I comment that Saturday morning shouldn't be for checking bills. Bills we can't pay all at once. Bills that give us both grey hairs and make us worry for the future.

then he logs me off the computer. now he's asking for it.

his shorts were gone...that's right, gone. oh dear, being washed, how inconvenient.

Then his leaving coincides with the children waking.
"I'll be gone an hour" I believe were the parting words.

From now on I'll be washing all your shorts and underwear with extra heavy duty laundry soap laced with something so as to give you a nice rash on your butt, I believe those were my parting thoughts.

or perhaps one child waking at 6:45am - on a Saturday! This is the child that NEVER wants to wake up during the school week. Nice.

maybe....

or was it finding out that all the dishwasher soap was out, with a machine full of sinky dishes, all the sliced bread gone too. so no toast this morning. no toast?

enough to send me over the edge right there.

was it noticing that the cleaning fairy didn't happen to arrive. Shoes tossed all across the front entry. Toys everywhere. Polly Pocket parts in places they shouldn't be.

Then the realization that I had too much cleaning up to pack into one morning. One morning that was already going downhill fast.

perhaps, but wait...

the baby yelling out "MOMMY" at the top of his lil'lungs until I could get him from his crib. {cause I was in the bathroom, just a little time is all I ask......} I think the older two were trying to get him out of his crib by using various devices for climbing. None successful, thank God. And all dangerous from my inspection when I did go there. a little plastic chair, on top of the my little pony stool, pushed up against the side of the crib. oh and some books for "balance" ???

was it the "make me breakfast" command from child #2 as she waltzed into the kitchen at 7:45
nope - I get that every morning, I redirect and ask for them to ask nicely, that usually helps.

there was alot of grumpiness for a little while, alot of yelling, crying, then magically...

little ones were fed, diapers were changed, laundry was put in dryer, children were dressed for the day. I got my blogging done.

Hubby comes home. 8:45am

"How's everything?"

I look up from this post and say. "Good." and let that be the end of it.

I realize that just like me being in a foul mood because my Saturday morning routine was messed up, he would have been in a more foul mood If I had asked him not to go on the bike ride. And truthfully, he is not that calm during the Saturday morning rush of children demands.
So it worked out for both of us.

but I have to get out that after he came home he did his situps, ate his breakfast and then asked when I would be done with the computer. hmm.

so


I


am


taking


my


time.


"my time"

I love when a title just pops out at you while typing.

So on to tackle the rest of the insurmountable chores around here. Chances are, even if two get done and crossed of the mental list. I'll be happy. Because its about having a good Saturday. I'm trying.

but I'm sure there is going to be another me v.s. him moment in the very near future since in the distance I hear the TV turned to a channel that is "exploring" the myths of the loch ness monter and crop circles. He is totally not going to watch TV is he? Can't think of anything else that needs to be done?

lysol to the rescue

probably the worst time of day to type in a blog...hungry kids, no plan for dinner, a list of demands for DS games, websites he wants to order from, {but you don't have a credit card sweetie, you're 7. but you do mom. oh. well.} if ever there was a time that a mommy just wanted to {needed to} lock herself in a room to just type or write or scrapbook her little heart away it would be today. now. just look at those starving faces.

this has been the week from the bad place. one week ago last night was when middle daughter started infecting the rest of us with some sort of stomach bug. whatever it is spreads like wildfire. nausea, vomiting, the runs, headaches, stomach cramps, everything nicely packaged up together that lasts approx. 48 hrs. ever try to explain to a two-year old that throwing up is okay - not to cry hysterically, or hyperventilate and make it ten times worse? yeaaah.

yesterday I washed every single bedsheet in the house, washed surfaces with bleach and water and sent sweet hubby to buy Lysol disinfectant spray. he askes what kind? what scent?. i say--the kind that kills, you know like 99.9% of whatever is f**king breeding here. bathrooms were sanitized. i was like a fiend with the lysol spray. summer breeze is my new favorite smell. every doorknob got blasted, every pillow, every- thing. nothing was left unsprayed. i was a monster. i never cleaned like that. i was exhausted. it was germ phobia to its highest extent. it was like was a neat person must go through in their mind when they enter messy places. the freaky neat lady on desperate housewives. the kind of neurosis i never knew i could channel in myself.

today is much better.

i watched shrek 2 with the kids and had a lot of laughs - left the dishes in the sink - - love when the characters get busted coming out of the forest -- ala "cops" and puss-in-boots gets caught with the catnip and says "its not mine"

Back Home

Ahhh! Back home.....yet it feels like I'm still on vacation. My brain, that is. We returned home Tuesday evening and even though I wanted to journal about a list of interesting things I could not form any cohesive thoughts on any subject. The unpacking is always a bore for me. It just reminds me that our time off has ended and its back to the everyday grind. Plus, we left so many little things laying around our house in our rush to leave that I had to clean up so I could "clean up." Not always fun.

We came home to such wonderful weather and while we were away so many of the trees around here have started to bud their little green leaves. What a difference five days makes.

And mother nature's choice of colors......(also my fav) are so crisp and fresh. Good reminders that spring is really here. I love the blue and the green together. That tree did not have all those green leaves when we left on Friday.

The cloud picture was taken last week, it was a HUGE cloud {the picture doesn't even do it justice}, after a rain storm. It was moving fast and in the time it took for me to run in and grab the camera the formation changed quickly, but its still awesome. This cloud had a 3-D effect going on. Placing itself right above our house, it was {seemingly} so close, like you could just climb up the roof and touch it.

Yesterday was spent doing all those everyday chores we have to do. Plus some grocery shopping. A trip to Wal-Mart and the Dollar Store however induced some euphoria into our day and so we can add to the "list of things I didn't need to buy this week." {But they are so darn cute!}

Here's one.....at some point I will have to fess up to my love of flip-flops...but for now you just have to take my word for it, I really, really, {really} needed another pair. Really.


I'm wearing them right now. I am soooo glamorous at 7:31 in the am.

Off for the day....bye.

That Dryer Smell

This morning out on the sunny deck I could smell that freshly washed clothes smell. Just below me I could see the puffs from our dryer churning out that floral downey fluffy smell {if "fluffy" had a smell} It was all emcompassing. It had a comforting, relaxing smell that surrounded our entire deck and yard. It meant I finally did some laundry!

and I have the sweetest husband in the world....today he gave me my very late, very thoughtful birthday present, the present I didn't think would happen until later {or never}....Adobe Photoshop! It was just so sweet. I was stunned. No idea how to use it. But I'm going to learn.

kids did homework without asking tonight....hmmm?
baby feel asleep early ... and is still sleeping as of now...
adobe...
good thing trend, three in a row.

I still haven't packed for our trip. However, I did go shopping for Easter basket goodies...the dollar tree has the cutest things for just a buck...but this week I discovered some good finds at Walmart and Michaels that were around a dollar or under. I am still going to have the kids do their easter egg hunt - except this year it will be in Canada. I bought them both disposable cameras so they could take pictures. And those plastic eggs -- I love filling them up with goodies. Of course I had to check out the craft/scrapbooking supplies. The dollar store has added even more...I love it because my daughter gets into my "good" stuff all the time, now she has her own. Lately she wants to get her hands on my adhesive runner. They have broken two of mine in the last year -- now I guard my new one under lock and key. Today I bought one of her own (for $1) and she wouldn't let her little brother touch it after he started pulling the white tape out. hmm. live and learn. My nice pigment ink pen seems to wander off too so I have to keep that hidden. Where was this thought going.....

I think I was going to say I'd start a new topic called "stupid stuff I bought this week" but actually that is taken -- another website I used to visit used it -- she always had a list going of the stupid things she bought that week. Maybe mine is really "stuff I didn't really need to buy this week." So as a first addition: here it is: I bought more stickers. And a cute mini card. The small-ish cards they sell right near the gift wrap and gift bags. Because. And not going to use it as a card - but as an embellishment for a baby card. Because I needed more of those. Because its cut into the shape of a baby outfit. Because now I think I need a personal die cutting machine.

final thought
I don't post to my livejournal anymore, so now I don't worry about that one. (check) I have a mental note to copy a link to there sometime. Now my yahoo360! picture journal is still fun to have around because I can post a whole album of photos. And when I look at my page here I wish my whole profile didn't show -- it takes up alot of space...not successful so far in having just my name show. okay for now but I have to figure that one out.

night.

Ditchin' My Chores, and other bad mom things

I've been spending a fair amount of time these last few weeks working on learning software, scrapbooking ideas, getting started as a independent consultant and getting those last minute Easter cards done and thus the lack of time spent on housework shows. Oh, it shows.

This morning my son informed me that "there are no more clean underwear in my drawer!!" {What? Didn't I just buy a brand new pack to make up for me not doing laundry more often??} No really...it couldn't be...I mean I had a good schedule I was keeping up with. Every morning run down, throw a load in. Just a really quick one...then later in the morning {or while junior is napping} run down and dry it. Then quick run the dry clothes up later that night or the next morning. Okay so somewhere between March sometime and now this schedule has fallen apart. Ick. I hate when it gets like this. Now I have to do like 6 loads a day to catch up. And...of course, we are going to Canada this weekend for a family Easter with my relatives. So no choice. No slacking. I have to do the bleep-ity, bleep laundry.

Way too many cluttered up spaces. Name it -- it has clutter around it. I just looked at the bathroom -- that is unnaturally clean & tidy at the moment. But just wait.

I have to stop obsessing about the consultant business and trust that the ideas will come to me. As they always do. Just not when I want sometimes.

I took some quick pictures of the cards I made --- though not downloaded off the camera yet. New camera in bag waiting to be used. Software downloading has to happen first, plus we have sooo many photos on our hard drive. I'm surprised nothing awful has happend to it. Hubby and I have been burning the photos to CDs and DVD (more storage capabilities). Our new camera is 5.0 Mp with 10x zoom (or something like that) It takes really nice photos and now I even have a "portrait" setting which I did not have before. I can really see the difference from what we use now, which is 4.0 Mp with 3x optical zoom. I wanted the 6.1 Mp -- hope we made a wise choice. {:~{

I was a craft fair this weekend and I always gravitate to the paper-crafts {naturally} I found two really talented crafters that just inspired me to go forward with my own ideas. The tastefully simple food party was...welll tastey!

night.

Another Busy Week

I can tell its spring (or that spring is almost here in western NY) because there are so many things to get done. The kids calendar at school is full of little day and night-time activities coming up Book fairs, craft fairs, kids art show, parades....Its nice to see people again after the long cold winter. {smirk} People who live in warmer climates probably don't have a clue what I am talking about. Well I'm home all day so I think that's part of the isolated "cabin" fever feeling.

I have scrapbooking parties, tonight is a tastefully simple party at a friends and then a baby shower later in the month. See people just want to go out...its the nice fresh air. gotta be.

The kids art show and {sale} is going to be good, a really good idea -- the profits from any sales go to a local children's hospital. Two of my children were born there and spent the first three weeks of their lives in the NICU. Hard to forget what those nurses and doctors did...even after you get to leave you are so thankful for all they did for your precious little bundle months and years later-- the memories {good and bad} stick with you.

This week I also took the plunge and mailed my application to be an independent consultant for a scrapbook supplies company -- MemoryWorks. I am so excited I can't sleep -- just too many ideas bubbling around up there in the brain. I set up an account and posted a layout online for the first time this week too. I can not sleep when I have this excitement going on. I'm looking forward to this though. Trying to ignore the bundle of nerves stuck inside somewhere.

Today was grandparents day at my children's school and my folks just got a kick out of the kindergarten class singing songs. I volunteered to greet and show people to the refreshments. My sweetie daughter was the "lady with the alligator purse" she got to parade around with a purse mocked up to look like an alligator, she was also the loudest singer, the calendar girl and she was picked to greet the visitors in the cafeteria. She was all bubbly today. Remember those days as a kid when everything just went your way. Everyone around you loved you and cared for you. Things were fun. After she got to ride home on the bus with her grandparents. I never had the chance to do things like this with my grandparents so I'm glad my children have these moments to remember.

I, yes I, Me. I forgot my camera.

Luckily, the forgetful gene skipped my sister and she had hers ready. Our dad worked for Kodak for like ever so we always had a camera. She was always so much more careful with hers though.

Going.....there is a pizza with my name on it ---and now I am being told that there are no socks in her drawer. The mermaid movie is finishing its keeping her busy for now. Looking for socks takes up like 80% of my time ?. Why is this?

note: Layout posted above has papers and elements from digitalfreebies.com site, scrapartist.com and simplescrapbooks. com sites. Lots of pretty stuff out there. Many talented designers. Visit these cool sites for inspiration.

Bye for now.

Taking a hike with a 2 yr. old and maple sugaring

I just had six minutes of panic because I couldn't remember my username correctly. Newbie.

There has been so much going on around here since last week so no time to update...My son's birthday, of course birthday parties, grandma's over (cleaning house), and a bunch of everyday things that always get in the way of slacking off on the computer. It seems we finish one item on our family to-do list and have just enough time to sit, breathe, go on to the next one.

Our kids had a school field trip at a local nature center for maple sugaring adventures. I got to go along and I brought the 2 year old. That was the adventure. Both my little guys did well. I was very proud of our 1st grader for paying close attention when he needed to - though I think he only remembers that the maple sugar candy was very sweet and that he got to run around with his buddies instead of sitting at their desks. I watched him sit and listen (this is hard for him) to the "what is sap?" introduction. Sort of half proud mamma and half my-kid-did-what?-tense-freak waiting for the arm waving and jumping. He didn't do that. Walking the trail and running around in between activities let him burn off his energy. This kid should be outside for his school day. He always complains that all they do at school is "sit all day." He is my "active" child. The one that is challenging the teacher this year...we have had several discussions about his "high" activity level. Its the same at home. He loves his teacher though and she has always said since the beginning of the school year that he is a pleaser...once he realizes what he has to do (often too far behind the other kids though) he does it. But staying on task is so hard. So we have been working on ways to help him with that. No meds, frankly they scare me, however, I do see how they might help with the hyperactivity.

And that cute 2 year old...once he figured out that walking near mommy was better than the stroller he was okay...two sap buckets into the trail he wanted "down." I knew I couldn't keep him in the stroller, plus it was a beautiful 78 degree day here in Rochester, at the end of March, we were loving it. He became enthralled with all the rocks and sticks that lay at his disposal. Often shouting "Bee-g Wok" whenever we saw one on the way. This was every few feet. Then "STEEEKS" when he saw a stick. Which were everywhere. He broke out into the happy birthday song from blue's clue's and tried to take a nap in the grass while the maple syrup taste testing was going on. Slept the whole 30 minute ride back home. All in all it was a wonderful time and I hope to do it again next year when my kindergartener is in 1st grade.

Nice rustic looking picture of one the sap buckets. The red was the only color out there besides brown, brown-greenish, brown, grayish gray, darker brown and blue sky.

going for now to get the day started...

My Workspace

trying to practice with digital photo pages.

Since I always upload photos, sometimes edited and sometimes not. I wanted to try one of my digital scrapbook pages.

A little bit about where I create. Where I get to play with all sorts of cool layout ideas. Today it has taken up a lot of my time. But I had to try. Its like a brand new toy.

So I think this turned out good. I never tried this before. I'm not a techie so I get all the file sizes wrong....but now I know about DPi and pixels, resizing and all that.

This was WAY easier to upload than my other journal. {Sorry, Live Journal, I might be converting}

Here's to everyday memories

First post...maybe I'll start with what 5 things are going on in my house right now.

I'm awake way too early...but I like it since I get the most work done.
Three cute kids sleeping
One hubby about to wake up {and ask why I've been up so long}
One lamp on, so its soothing
Coffee brewing

Good Morning.
Let's see how this thing works.